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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pit — a hole
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. tube — a container
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rush — hurry
  8. net — after costs
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. net — for catching
  14. season — in sport
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. season — of the year
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — in sport
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — a thrill

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