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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the fish
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pound — a weight
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. vault — a safe
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — ground
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bass — low music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. land — to come down
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. land — a country
  24. pound — to hit hard

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