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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lean — to bend
  10. track — a path
  11. root — of a plant
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. track — a song
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — of a word
  18. lean — thin
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. root — the cause
  24. hide — animal skin

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