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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — child
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. root — of a word
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pop — soda
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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