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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. charge — in control
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. kid — to tease
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pitch — completely
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kid — child
  17. charge — a price
  18. tube — a container
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. charge — electricity

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