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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. land — a country
  5. court — of a king
  6. bore — to drill
  7. court — for sport
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. land — ground
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. content — the amount
  16. plane — a tool
  17. court — of law
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. land — to come down
  21. rush — hurry
  22. content — happy
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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