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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. tear — to rip
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. lean — to bend
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lean — thin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. squash — the sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chair — a leader
  23. tear — from crying
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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