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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — letters
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — a short time
  9. drill — army training
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — magic
  16. ground — crushed
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fan — to cool the air

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