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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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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: snap · firm · kid · tube · plane · rock · march · pit

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. firm — a company
  3. kid — child
  4. pit — a hole
  5. tube — a container
  6. kid — to tease
  7. tube — the underground
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. march — music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. pit — in a race
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rock — a stone
  18. snap — to click
  19. firm — decided
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. firm — steady
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rock — music

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