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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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Word bank
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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: sharp · arm · swing · ruler · tube · bark · charge · snap

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bark — to shout
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. charge — in control
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — clever

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