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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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 — in geometry
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. game — a match
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. content — the amount
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fork — in a road
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rush — hurry
  23. content — happy
  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