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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. dip — to sink
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. row — to paddle
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rush — hurry

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