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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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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: rock · stick · straw · charge · foot · ruler · dip · tube

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. charge — in control
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. charge — a price
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — a container
  12. dip — to sink
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rock — a stone
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — electricity
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. foot — the bottom

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