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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mine — for digging
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. clip — to cut
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. clip — a video
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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