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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 120 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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mug — to rob
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. charge — in control
  5. sharp — clever
  6. content — the amount
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — a face
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. scale — size or range
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. charge — a price
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. plane — a tool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mug — a cup
  22. row — a line
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. scale — in music

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