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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — a short time
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spell — letters
  9. tube — a container
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mine — for digging
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — a stick
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spell — magic
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — of a tree

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