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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. tube — a container
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — electric
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — to drop
  7. current — happening now
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. current — of water
  14. bore — to tire
  15. staff — employees
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. staff — a stick
  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