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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — a container
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. tube — the underground
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. present — the time now
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. can — to be able to
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — thin
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lean — to bend
  24. nail — for a hammer

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