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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fine — high quality
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — a container
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. shower — rain
  19. tube — the underground
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fine — all right
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. shower — to wash

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