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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.

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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: rock · can · tube · fan · bark · fine · lean · pass

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lean — thin
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — music
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — to bend
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — a container

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