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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mug — a face
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. tube — the underground
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tube — a container
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. row — a line

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