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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. row — a line
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. dip — to sink
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. content — happy
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. can — to be able to

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