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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — a tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. face — to confront
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — a container
  9. court — for sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pound — a weight
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. court — of a king
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. court — of law
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to point toward
  23. tube — the underground
  24. plane — in geometry

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