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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.

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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. file — a tool
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. file — a document
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — the underground
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tube — a container
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bark — to shout
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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