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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: tube · stand · wave · content · rule · bark · suit · march

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rule — a law
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. march — music
  11. suit — to fit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tube — the underground
  15. content — the amount
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bark — to shout
  19. tube — a container
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. content — happy
  24. stand — for spectators

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