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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. content — the amount
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. content — happy
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. drill — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — a tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. date — the fruit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. can — a tin
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. drill — a practice
  24. trunk — of a car

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