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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. object — an aim
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tube — a container
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. suit — to fit
  11. snap — to click
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. object — to protest
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. suit — in cards
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rash — a series
  20. object — a thing
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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