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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. tube — a container
  4. file — a tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — to handle
  10. file — a line of people
  11. can — a tin
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stem — to come from
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. can — a tin
  24. file — a document

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