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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. swing — to play on
  3. chip — for betting
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rule — a law
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — happy
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — to eat
  18. shower — rain
  19. content — the amount
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. swing — music
  24. rule — government

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