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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bark — to shout
  6. track — a path
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. deal — to handle
  12. track — a song
  13. rock — a stone
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rock — music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pass — a permit

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