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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. roll — a cake
  3. present — there
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — the time now
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. clip — to cut
  17. roll — a list
  18. mark — a trace
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. present — a gift
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — in geometry

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