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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cue — for pool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — ground
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. land — a country
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stand — to bear
  24. dip — to dunk

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