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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: bark · cap · rule · tube · cabinet · root · dip · plane

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — government
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. tube — a container
  10. root — the cause
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rule — a law
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. root — of a word
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bark — to shout
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rule — to rule out

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