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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. 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. rush — a thrill
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rush — hurry
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kid — child
  13. tube — a container
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. band — a music group
  16. mate — a friend
  17. band — a ring
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mate — to breed
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. 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