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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.

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: fan · straw · bark · nail · face · ruler · mouse · date

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — to confront
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bark — to shout
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to point toward

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