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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bat — the animal
  5. content — the amount
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. club — a group
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. club — for golf
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wind — moving air
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wind — moving air
  23. content — happy
  24. plane — an aircraft

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