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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. band — a ring
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. object — an aim
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — a face
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. content — happy
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cell — a phone
  19. can — to be able to
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. content — the amount
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. can — a tin

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