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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. foot — a measure
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rash — hasty
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spring — of water
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tube — a container
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. plane — a tool
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fine — all right
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — a series
  21. tube — the underground
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fine — high quality

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