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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
468
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: net · tube · bark · tear · object · rock · bay · cabinet

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — to protest
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. net — in sport
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. object — a thing
  18. tube — a container
  19. rock — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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