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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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468
Word bank
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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. game — a match
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. scale — in music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. scale — size or range
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bore — to tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bore — to drill
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. game — a kind of play

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