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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. key — the most important part
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pass — a permit
  18. key — in music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wake — a trail
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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