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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pit — in a race
  3. tube — a container
  4. pit — a hole
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — music
  10. row — a line
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — the underground
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. plane — a tool
  24. march — the month

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