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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. tube — a container
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. plane — a tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cell — a phone
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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