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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. can — a tin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — to be able to
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bass — low music
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. can — a tin
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lean — thin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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