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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · pound · wake · swing · lie · dip · mouse · stick

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — to recline
  5. swing — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rule — government
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rule — a law

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