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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rash — a series
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. tube — a container
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — hasty
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lean — thin
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ruler — for measuring

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