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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. content — happy
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pass — a permit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. content — the amount
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — a tool
  9. kid — to tease
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cap — a lid
  12. snap — to click
  13. cap — a hat
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitch — completely
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kid — child
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pitch — a sports field

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