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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — a tin
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — to be able to
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — a tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. can — a tin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — in sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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