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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: tube · chair · spring · pit · plane · jam · bear · file

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. plane — a tool
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. file — a tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. tube — a container
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bear — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. bear — to put up with

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