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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lean — thin
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pit — a hole
  11. race — the arms race
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pop — to visit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. race — humankind
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pop — soda
  20. race — a contest
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pop — music

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