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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. root — of a word
  15. march — the month
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — of a plant
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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