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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. tube — a container
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. staff — employees
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. staff — employees
  12. mate — to breed
  13. face — to confront
  14. plane — a tool
  15. content — the amount
  16. mate — a partner
  17. content — happy
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tube — the underground
  21. kid — child
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mate — a friend
  24. foot — the bottom

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