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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. present — the time now
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — a gift
  13. tube — the underground
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. present — there
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bass — low music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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