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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. capital — money
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. capital — a city
  7. snap — to click
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. tube — the underground
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. plane — a tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — for golf
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. capital — a big letter

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