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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — happy
  15. rest — a break
  16. last — finally
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a committee
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. board — to get on
  24. content — the amount

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