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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — help
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — happy
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. present — the time now
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ball — a great time
  14. present — a gift
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. present — there
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — for a computer

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