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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cold — not warm
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. suit — to fit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fall — the season
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — a container
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wave — with your hand
  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