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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pound — a weight
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cell — in biology
  13. content — the amount
  14. squash — the sport
  15. kick — in football
  16. track — a song
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. content — happy
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. cell — a phone
  21. track — a path
  22. snap — to click
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. track — to keep track

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