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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. plane — a tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. tube — a container
  10. drill — a practice
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tube — the underground
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. foot — a measure
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chest — a box
  21. drill — army training
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — to go away

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