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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. staff — a stick
  3. tube — a container
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. land — a country
  8. object — an aim
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — ground
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. staff — employees
  20. bound — certain
  21. object — a thing
  22. land — to come down
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. staff — employees

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