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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. drill — army training
  9. content — happy
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. drill — the tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ball — a dance

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