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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. craft — a skill
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. tube — a container
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. vault — a safe
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. craft — boats
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — a leader
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. patient — a sick person

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