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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — to confront
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. tube — a container
  7. plane — a tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. can — to be able to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. suit — in cards
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. drill — army training
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — the underground
  24. can — a tin

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