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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stem — to come from
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — a container
  24. bark — of a tree

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