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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. shower — to wash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cold — not warm
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — a container
  16. shower — rain
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cold — an illness
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cold — the Cold War

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