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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pop — soda
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — to visit
  9. charge — a price
  10. pop — music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. charge — in control
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. charge — electricity
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — a tool

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