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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: tube · stand · ruler · plane · mate · pop · tear · net

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. tube — a container
  3. mate — a friend
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pop — music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pop — soda
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — for catching
  19. stand — to bear
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mate — a partner

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