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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — a song
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. sharp — clever
  14. tube — the underground
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bound — certain
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. net — after costs
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. sharp — exactly

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