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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. swing — to play on
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. content — the amount
  14. capital — a city
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. capital — money
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mate — to breed

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