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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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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 · key · bore · cap · tube · ball · cold · staff

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. staff — employees
  8. key — in music
  9. tube — a container
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — a lid
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cold — not warm
  19. staff — employees
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tube — the underground
  23. key — the most important part
  24. plane — in geometry

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