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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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. dip — to sink
  4. rock — music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. board — a committee
  7. can — to be able to
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — to confront
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. can — a tin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. can — a tin
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pound — a weight
  19. board — to get on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. face — to point toward

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