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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. kid — to tease
  3. tube — a container
  4. bark — to shout
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — the underground
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to point toward
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — part of the head
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. face — to confront
  19. kid — child
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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