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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wake — a trail
  17. scale — in music
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — happy
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. snap — to click
  24. lean — to bend

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