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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. tube — a container
  3. bear — the animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — to protest
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bank — for money
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. tube — in a tire

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