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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. plane — a tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kick — in football
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. track — a path
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. track — to keep track
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — a phone
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. band — a ring
  19. cell — in biology
  20. track — a song
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. band — a music group
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cell — in a prison

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