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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. deal — to handle
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. tube — a container
  11. root — of a word
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — a tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. root — the cause
  21. staff — employees
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — in geometry

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