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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.

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: bear · tear · roll · plane · trunk · saw · tube · mouse

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. roll — a cake
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tear — to rip
  24. trunk — of a tree

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