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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 116 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 · shower · object · wound · pass · lie · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bark — to shout
  7. shower — rain
  8. lie — to recline
  9. object — an aim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. object — a thing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — an injury
  24. object — to protest

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