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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. band — a music group
  6. plane — a tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. band — a ring
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. tube — the underground
  11. object — an aim
  12. row — a line
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — hasty
  22. object — to protest
  23. tube — a container
  24. plane — in geometry

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