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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: suit · plane · tube · bat · roll · stick · perch · lash

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. roll — a list
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. tube — the underground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. roll — a cake
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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