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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pop — music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mark — a grade
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pop — soda
  12. mark — a trace
  13. content — happy
  14. snap — to click
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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