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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ruler · bark · staff · toast · charge · cap · hide · fall

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. charge — a price
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. toast — bread
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. staff — a stick
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — employees
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — in control
  21. fall — the season
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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