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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lean — thin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. suit — in cards
  11. tube — a container
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — a city
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. tube — the underground
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. root — of a word

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