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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. land — a country
  4. stand — to bear
  5. tube — a container
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. land — ground
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. land — to come down
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. object — a thing
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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