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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. last — finally
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. band — a music group
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — the amount
  13. band — a ring
  14. last — to go on
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. last — final
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — an aircraft

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