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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. squash — the sport
  5. craft — boats
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. plane — a tool
  9. snap — to click
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — to crush
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — a container

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