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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. field — a subject
  7. content — the amount
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. field — farmland
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wake — a trail
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cue — for pool
  22. field — for sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. plane — a 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