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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. file — a tool
  5. key — in music
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. file — a document
  8. cell — in biology
  9. tube — the underground
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. tube — a container
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. shower — to wash
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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