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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bass — low music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — hasty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — the fish
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. track — a path
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — a container
  17. bass — the fish
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. plane — a tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rash — a series
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rash — on the skin

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