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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. track — a song
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stem — to come from
  23. track — a path
  24. plane — in geometry

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