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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. spring — of water
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. spell — a short time
  11. content — happy
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. face — to confront
  14. spring — a coil
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. content — the amount
  19. spell — magic
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spring — the season
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — in sport

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