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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mug — a face
  3. board — to get on
  4. plane — a tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. net — after costs
  8. content — the amount
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. board — a committee
  15. press — to push
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mug — to rob
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mug — a cup
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. net — for catching
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. press — newspapers

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