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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pit — a hole
  6. face — part of the head
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — a container
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. suit — clothes
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — to fit
  16. march — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. saw — the tool

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