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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a path
  7. rock — music
  8. bat — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rule — a law
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. track — a song
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rock — a stone
  17. staff — employees
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — government
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. track — to keep track

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