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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — to rob
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wake — a trail
  7. tube — a container
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mug — a cup
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mug — a face
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — the underground

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