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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. rock — music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. tube — the underground
  7. deal — to handle
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. chest — a box
  12. object — to protest
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — a stone
  20. object — a thing
  21. march — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bowl — a dish

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