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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — army training
  15. fine — all right
  16. spell — letters
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. spell — magic

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