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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. net — in sport
  4. mine — for digging
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fall — the season
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. net — after costs
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — a container
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. net — for catching
  21. fall — to drop
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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