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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.

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: clip · bark · roll · tube · rule · trunk · spell · racket

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tube — a container
  3. roll — a cake
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. rule — government
  9. clip — a video
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. roll — a list
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. tube — the underground
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. clip — for paper
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rule — a law
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. clip — to cut

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