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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. net — for catching
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bark — to shout
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. can — to be able to
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. net — in sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. net — after costs
  20. can — a tin
  21. land — a country
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — a container
  24. bound — obliged

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