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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · key · chest · tube · hide · bark

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. key — for a lock
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. key — in music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a committee
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chest — a box
  18. bark — to shout

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