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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bound — tied together
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lean — thin
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitcher — a jug

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