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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — in a road
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — a container
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. clip — to cut

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