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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. root — the cause
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. shower — to wash
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rule — government
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. shower — rain
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rule — a law
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. root — of a word
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bear — to put up with

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