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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: saw · net · current · lie · bat · bark · tube · pass

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. net — for catching
  11. lie — to recline
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. tube — a container
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. net — in sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. net — after costs
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. current — of water

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