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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.

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: bat · bay · tube · craft · bound · content · bark · straw

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bat — the animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — the amount
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. tube — a container
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. content — happy
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. craft — boats
  24. content — videos and posts

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