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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. firm — steady
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ground — the earth
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. firm — a company
  13. content — happy
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ground — a position
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. firm — decided
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mark — a grade
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — to sink

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