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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cap — of ice
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — a hat
  7. snap — to click
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bank — for money
  13. can — a tin
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bark — to shout
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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