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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bark — to shout
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lean — thin
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. row — a line
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. vault — a safe

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