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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bark — to shout
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tube — a container
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a grade
  18. tube — the underground
  19. present — the time now
  20. drill — army training
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. drill — a practice

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