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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 116 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: last · mouse · hide · deal · tube · bark · key · bat

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. key — for a lock
  3. last — to go on
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. last — final
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. tube — a container
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bark — to shout
  18. last — finally
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. key — in music
  24. mouse — for a computer

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