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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: foot · tube · object · bound · chip · mug · lie · bark

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bound — certain
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tube — a container
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. object — to protest
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mug — a face
  11. bound — obliged
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. object — a thing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mug — to rob
  22. object — an aim
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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