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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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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: bark · saw · kick · straw · tube · kid · pop · ruler

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pop — to visit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kick — in football
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. pop — soda
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kid — child
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pop — music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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