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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rule — government
  9. content — happy
  10. mug — to rob
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rule — a law
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mug — a face
  15. plane — a tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. content — the amount
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. drill — the tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. drill — army training

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