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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pop — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. tube — a container
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pop — soda
  8. bass — low music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. plane — a tool

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