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

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — to shout
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — money
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a city
  11. tube — the underground
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — to recline
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. last — final
  19. tube — a container
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. last — to go on
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lie — an untruth

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