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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bound — obliged
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cold — an illness
  7. tube — a container
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tube — the underground
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bound — tied together
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. plane — a tool
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cold — not warm
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. net — in sport
  23. bound — certain
  24. tube — in a tire

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