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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. land — a country
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rest — what's left
  7. land — to come down
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rest — a break
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. key — the most important part
  15. row — a line
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. land — ground
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. key — in music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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