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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. swing — music
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bark — to shout
  10. kick — in football
  11. tube — a container
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stock — goods
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — with a leg

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