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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 ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cell — a phone
  9. tube — a container
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cue — for pool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. foot — a measure
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pop — 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