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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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kid — child
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. board — to get on
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — a container
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — a committee
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — the animal

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