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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — the season
  8. object — to protest
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — the amount
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lie — to recline
  13. object — an aim
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hand — in cards
  17. object — a thing
  18. hand — help
  19. content — happy
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spring — of water
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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