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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ball — a great time
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. snap — to click
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a dance
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — help
  15. suit — to fit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. staff — employees
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hand — in cards
  23. content — the amount
  24. hand — 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