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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — boats
  5. staff — employees
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. suit — to fit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. suit — in cards
  16. staff — a stick
  17. perch — the fish
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — the tool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — a tool
  24. craft — a skill

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