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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bore — to drill
  7. chair — a leader
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pit — in a race
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. hand — help
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bore — to tire

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