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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 120 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. plane — a tool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bound — obliged
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. pit — a hole
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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