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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. file — a line of people
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. file — a tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. content — happy
  18. file — a document
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pass — to spend time

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