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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spring — the season
  5. plane — a tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. firm — a company
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bulb — for light
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mug — a cup
  18. last — final
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. firm — decided
  21. last — finally
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. spring — a coil

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