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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a line of people
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ball — a great time
  8. file — a tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — low music
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — a tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bass — the fish
  21. file — a document
  22. tube — the underground
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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