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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chair — a leader
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. roll — a list
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. hand — help
  12. object — a thing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. hand — in cards
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. object — to protest
  19. tube — the underground
  20. plane — a tool
  21. roll — a cake
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. object — an aim

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