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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cell — a phone
  3. object — to protest
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wake — a trail
  6. suit — in cards
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. tube — the underground
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. court — for sport
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. snap — to click
  24. tube — a container

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