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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ball — a dance
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ball — a great time
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bear — the animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. content — happy
  13. plane — a tool
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. content — the amount
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. trunk — of a car

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