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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. firm — steady
  3. cap — of ice
  4. object — a thing
  5. lean — thin
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. vault — a safe
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. object — to protest
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. tube — a container
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. object — an aim
  24. bear — the animal

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