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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: rule · foot · straw · rock · roll · pass · tube · bark

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tube — a container
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. rock — music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rule — government
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rule — a law
  23. foot — a measure
  24. straw — a straw man

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