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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lean — to bend
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hand — help
  11. game — a match
  12. mark — a grade
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tube — a container
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mark — a trace
  18. craft — boats
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lean — thin

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