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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bore — to drill
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — the earth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ground — a position
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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