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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. content — the amount
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ball — a dance
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — clever
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. content — happy
  19. mate — to breed
  20. snap — to click
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mate — a friend

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