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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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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 · bank · rest · straw · face · capital · patient · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rest — a break
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — a city
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. capital — money
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. face — to point toward
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bank — for money
  24. face — to confront

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