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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: ruler · drill · march · wound · bark · pass · dip · rule

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pass — a permit
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — army training
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rule — government
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rule — a law
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. march — music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wound — an injury

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