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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. content — happy
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ball — a great time
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. content — the amount
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lean — thin
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. lean — to bend
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fine — all right
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ball — a dance

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