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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. plane — a tool
  3. land — ground
  4. net — after costs
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. land — to come down
  9. content — the amount
  10. face — to confront
  11. bore — to drill
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. content — happy
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. face — part of the head
  17. land — a country
  18. bore — to tire
  19. net — in sport
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ground — crushed
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. net — for catching

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