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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: bear · stick · pop · rush · tube · leaves · net · present

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. net — for catching
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rush — hurry
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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