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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: dip · wake · mark · tube · fall · foot · hide · rock

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tube — a container
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fall — the season
  7. rock — a stone
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wake — a trail
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rock — music
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mark — to pay attention

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