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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. plane — a tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. content — happy
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rash — a series
  23. present — the time now
  24. cap — a lid

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