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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: perch · tube · patient · bark · staff · can · fall · chest

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. can — to be able to
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chest — a box
  5. staff — a stick
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chest — of your body
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bark — to shout
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — a container
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. staff — employees
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. staff — employees
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fall — the season
  24. chest — of your body

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