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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. shower — rain
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. plane — a tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. fine — high quality
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. shower — to wash
  19. date — the fruit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. date — on the calendar

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