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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. staff — a stick
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rush — hurry
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to click
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rock — a stone
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rock — music

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