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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: lie · straw · dip · wake · stick · bark · can · rule

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. dip — a sauce
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lie — to recline
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rule — government
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. can — to be able to
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rule — a law
  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