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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: pit · drill · tube · wake · suit · plane · fan · can

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — in cards
  5. drill — army training
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tube — the underground
  19. suit — clothes
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. tube — a container

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