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

Word bank: ruler · pound · bark · arm · dip · fall · tube · pass

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. tube — the underground
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tube — in a tire

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