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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: bark · ruler · mug · fall · can · toast · last · row

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. toast — bread
  5. mug — a cup
  6. can — a tin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fall — to drop
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bark — to shout
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mug — a face
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mug — to rob
  19. last — finally
  20. fall — the season
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ruler — for measuring

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