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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — to tire
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. content — the amount
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — a measure
  16. content — happy
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bore — to drill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — a sauce

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