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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. present — a gift
  4. kid — child
  5. spring — a coil
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. present — there
  9. bark — to shout
  10. present — the time now
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. tube — a container
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. tube — the underground
  24. kid — to tease

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