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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. content — the amount
  3. plane — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spring — of water
  9. bank — for money
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bank — of a river
  15. press — to push
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rock — a stone
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rock — music
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bass — low music
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — a coil

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