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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. object — a thing
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. can — a tin
  8. roll — a list
  9. shower — rain
  10. plane — a tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. roll — a cake
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. object — to protest
  19. dip — to sink
  20. object — an aim
  21. kid — child
  22. shower — to wash
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kid — to tease

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