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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. band — a ring
  3. lean — thin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cell — a phone
  6. band — a music group
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. plane — a tool
  9. march — the month
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. drill — army training
  14. charge — electricity
  15. march — music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. march — the month
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lean — to bend
  23. drill — the tool
  24. band — a rubber band

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