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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — certain
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stem — to come from
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. spell — magic
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wax — to grow
  11. content — the amount
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bound — obliged

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