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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. content — happy
  21. pop — music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bore — gave birth

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