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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lean — thin
  3. tube — a container
  4. firm — a company
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. firm — steady
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kid — child
  20. firm — decided
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. present — the time now
  24. plane — a tool

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