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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. track — to keep track
  8. tube — a container
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stand — to bear
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tear — to rip
  20. track — a path
  21. tear — from crying
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fan — to cool the air

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