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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ground — crushed
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ground — a position
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. ground — the earth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. tube — a container
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. band — a music group
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. date — on the calendar

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