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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: game · tube · mouse · pit · lean · wave · mark · bark

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. pit — in a race
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. game — a match
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bark — of a tree

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