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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tube — a container
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. scale — size or range
  9. file — a line of people
  10. scale — in music
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — to crush
  17. can — to be able to
  18. file — a tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bank — for money
  21. file — a document
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bank — of a river

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