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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 hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. content — happy
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cell — a phone
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. kid — child
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. staff — a stick
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. staff — employees
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. plane — a tool
  22. content — the amount
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rush — hurry

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