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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — to fit
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — low music
  14. bat — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. suit — in cards

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