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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mate — a friend
  5. toast — bread
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tube — a container
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rush — hurry
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitch — completely
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — a sales talk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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