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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. plane — a tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. lean — to bend
  5. field — a subject
  6. bear — the animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lean — thin
  11. tube — a container
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. last — finally
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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