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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · lie · chest · bound · object · mouse · tube · plane

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — a thing
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tube — a container
  6. lie — to recline
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. tube — the underground
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chest — a box
  21. object — an aim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. object — to protest
  24. mouse — for a computer

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