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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. firm — decided
  7. kick — in football
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — a container
  10. content — happy
  11. last — finally
  12. net — after costs
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. firm — steady
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — for catching
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. last — final
  19. firm — a company
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — the amount
  22. net — in sport
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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