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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. band — a ring
  3. craft — a skill
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — to handle
  14. charge — a price
  15. root — the cause
  16. craft — boats
  17. plane — a tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. charge — electricity
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. root — of a word

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