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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. degree — from a university
  7. net — after costs
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — a container
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stand — to bear
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. net — in sport
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. net — for catching
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. degree — an amount
  24. kick — in football

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