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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pit — a hole
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bear — the animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — to be able to
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pit — in a race
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tube — a container
  23. can — a tin
  24. bear — 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