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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tube — the underground
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. row — a line
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. row — to paddle
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. plane — a tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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