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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. chest — a box
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. stock — shares
  10. chest — of your body
  11. toast — bread
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bear — the animal
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tube — the underground
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chest — of your body

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