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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. face — to point toward
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pop — soda
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. face — to confront
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bark — to shout
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — of the year
  14. pop — to visit
  15. season — in sport
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pop — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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