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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pit — a hole
  4. last — to go on
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — a container
  20. last — finally
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. last — final
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. tear — from crying

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