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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — to tease
  3. plane — a tool
  4. content — the amount
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. kid — child
  12. fall — the season
  13. suit — in cards
  14. face — part of the head
  15. suit — to fit
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. content — happy
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tube — the underground
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fall — to drop
  22. vault — a safe
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. face — to point toward

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