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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. content — happy
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wind — moving air
  9. squash — to crush
  10. can — to be able to
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — thin
  15. content — the amount
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — the animal

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