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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. date — the fruit
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cell — in biology
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — a tool
  9. land — ground
  10. suit — to fit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. staff — employees
  14. cell — a phone
  15. clip — a video
  16. land — a country
  17. suit — in cards
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. staff — employees
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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