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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. row — a line
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spring — of water
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rest — a break
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pass — a permit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — the season
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. tube — a container
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — to paddle
  24. plane — an aircraft

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