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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — to crush
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bore — to tire
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. present — there
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. tube — a container
  14. bore — to drill
  15. present — the time now
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — hurry
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. present — a gift

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