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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kid — child
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — a break
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. key — in music

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