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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. staff — employees
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. hand — help
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tube — the underground
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hand — in cards
  21. plane — a tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. staff — employees

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