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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. tube — a container
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chest — a box
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. swing — music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. swing — in golf
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hand — help
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chest — of your body
  24. vault — a safe

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