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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 124 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. present — the time now
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. present — a gift
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. staff — employees
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spring — of water
  14. staff — a stick
  15. content — happy
  16. file — a document
  17. plane — a tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — a coil
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. present — there
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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