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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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Word bank
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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: tube · dip · tear · mouse · ruler · can · coach · bat

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. dip — to sink
  24. can — a tin

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