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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: plane · tube · cell · face · bore · firm · pitcher · lash

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cell — a phone
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — a company
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. firm — decided
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — a container
  24. firm — steady

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