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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. tube — a container
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. content — the amount
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — the sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. bark — to shout
  14. content — happy
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. mate — to breed
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — a partner

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