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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bark — to shout
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tube — the underground
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. net — after costs
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. tube — a container
  15. net — in sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. toast — bread
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kick — in football

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