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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — an injury
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. drill — the tool
  7. content — the amount
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — army training
  12. press — to push
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. press — a publisher
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. craft — boats
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. drill — a practice
  24. craft — a handicraft

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