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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. straw — a straw man

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