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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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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: bay · present · dip · bark · chair · last · wake · tube

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. last — final
  5. present — there
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. present — a gift
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. present — the time now
  21. tube — a container
  22. chair — a leader
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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