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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · bear · cell · bark · field · hide · swing · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bear — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rest — a break
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com