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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 120 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. content — happy
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. season — in sport
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. file — a line of people
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — of the year
  15. content — the amount
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cabinet — ministers

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