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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. face — to point toward
  7. scale — size or range
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. content — happy
  11. wind — moving air
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to confront
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. track — a path
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. face — part of the head

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