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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rest — a break
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. tube — a container
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. can — a tin

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