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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. can — a tin
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kid — child
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. can — to be able to
  13. present — there
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — army training
  16. present — the time now
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. kid — to tease
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. saw — the tool

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