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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: spell · lean · shower · bark · stand · hide · tube · bore

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lean — thin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bore — to drill
  6. shower — rain
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. shower — to wash
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lean — to bend

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