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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rush — hurry
  7. shower — rain
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rash — a series
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. shower — to wash
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — an aircraft

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