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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rock — music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lie — to recline
  7. row — a line
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mug — a face
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — to rob
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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