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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. degree — temperature
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — the animal
  14. content — the amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wake — a trail
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bound — obliged
  24. content — happy

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