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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bat — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lie — to recline
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. plane — a tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tube — a container
  16. suit — clothes
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — a division

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