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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — part of the head
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. row — a line
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rock — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bark — to shout
  19. face — to confront
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rock — a stone

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