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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — a grade
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mark — a trace
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. tube — a container
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mark — to pay attention

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