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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 · row · bay · bark · stick · rush · leaves · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. track — a song
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — a path
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. row — a line
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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