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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mug — a cup
  3. snap — to click
  4. mug — to rob
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bass — the fish
  12. content — the amount
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. bass — low music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fork — in a road
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. content — happy
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. arm — part of the body

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