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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bark — to shout
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fine — all right
  8. bound — certain
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. toast — bread
  11. mate — to breed
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kick — in football
  24. ruler — for measuring

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