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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. capital — money
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. march — the month
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. march — music
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. content — the amount
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. capital — a city
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. content — happy
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bear — the animal

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