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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. perch — the fish
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. tube — a container
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kid — child
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. firm — steady
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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