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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · bat · object · wake · bark · saw · mug · ruler

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. spell — letters
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. spell — a short time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — a face
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. object — an aim
  16. mug — to rob
  17. object — to protest
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wake — a trail
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. object — a thing
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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