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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bank — of a river
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bank — for money
  6. plane — a tool
  7. present — a gift
  8. drill — army training
  9. present — the time now
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — a container
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. present — there
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bank — for money

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