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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cell — in biology
  3. shower — rain
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — happy
  7. shower — to wash
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rock — a stone
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. plane — a tool
  23. content — the amount
  24. rock — music

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