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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — a path
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. track — a song
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. charge — a price
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. tube — a container
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bark — to shout
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — to keep track
  18. plane — a tool
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. charge — in control
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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