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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. staff — employees
  4. present — there
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — for light
  8. capital — money
  9. tube — the underground
  10. capital — a city
  11. present — the time now
  12. tube — a container
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rash — a series
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rash — hasty
  19. clip — a video
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. present — a gift
  22. clip — for paper
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. staff — a stick

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