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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — high quality
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. snap — to click
  16. tear — from crying
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. plane — in geometry

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