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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. plane — a tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. tube — a container
  9. net — in sport
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pit — a hole
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. net — for catching
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fall — to drop
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lean — thin
  24. lash — an eyelash

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