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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 120 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cap — a hat
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. spell — letters
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. field — a subject
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cap — of ice
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. plane — a tool
  20. spell — magic
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cap — a lid

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