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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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 — in geometry
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lean — to bend
  9. scale — size or range
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tube — a container
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lean — thin
  16. rest — a break
  17. scale — in music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — the amount
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — a tool
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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