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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lean — thin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. race — humankind
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — a contest
  12. tube — a container
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fine — all right
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tube — the underground

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