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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rule — a law
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. swing — in golf
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. swing — music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. swing — to play on
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spell — magic
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rule — government
  23. tube — a container
  24. spell — letters

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