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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. scale — in music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. plane — a tool
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. content — the amount
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. content — happy
  22. date — the fruit
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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