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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. lean — to bend
  3. plane — a tool
  4. march — music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. tube — a container
  7. march — the month
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rule — a law
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. march — the month
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rule — government
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fork — in a road
  18. tube — the underground
  19. roll — a list
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lean — thin
  24. racket — for tennis

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