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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lean — thin
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chair — a leader
  8. plane — a tool
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. row — to paddle
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. land — to come down
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. row — a line
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. land — ground

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