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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: content · bear · mouse · bark · plane · tube · wind · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wind — moving air
  17. content — the amount
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. tube — the underground
  24. content — happy

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