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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bark — to shout
  6. tube — the underground
  7. key — in music
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. key — for a lock
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — the sport

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