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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. content — happy
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. snap — to click
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lean — to bend
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. clip — to cut
  17. plane — a tool
  18. content — the amount
  19. bulb — for light
  20. clip — a video
  21. lean — thin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bound — certain

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