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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fall — the season
  3. root — of a word
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — a container
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. swing — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tube — the underground

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