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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: hide · season · bowl · tube · cue · bark · foot · chip

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tube — a container
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — of the year
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. season — in sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cue — a hint
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chip — in 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