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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: bay · sharp · tube · content · mate · bark · stand · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mate — a partner
  3. spell — a short time
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. content — happy
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mate — to breed
  16. content — the amount
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. spell — letters
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bark — to shout
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. tube — in a tire

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