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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. season — of the year
  9. scale — size or range
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. scale — in music
  20. season — in sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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