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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — the underground
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cap — of ice
  7. firm — steady
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hand — help
  10. cap — a hat
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. firm — a company
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lean — thin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — a container
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. firm — decided
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — to rest against

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