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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. land — ground
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mug — a face
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. face — to confront
  17. land — a country
  18. mug — to rob
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. face — to point toward
  23. land — to come down
  24. tube — in a tire

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