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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: present · net · chair · lie · bore · tube · mate · bark

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mate — to breed
  6. net — in sport
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. tube — a container
  11. mate — a partner
  12. present — the time now
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — a gift
  15. net — after costs
  16. bore — to tire
  17. net — for catching
  18. present — there
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bark — to shout

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