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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. band — a music group
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bound — obliged
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bound — tied together
  18. band — a ring
  19. snap — to click
  20. bound — certain
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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