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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mug — to rob
  3. plane — a tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mug — a cup
  9. drill — a practice
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mug — a face
  16. drill — the tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bark — to shout
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. drill — army training

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