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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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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. plane — a tool
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. land — to come down
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. land — a country
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a music group
  16. land — ground
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fall — the season
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a ring

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