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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tube — a container
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. key — the most important part
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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