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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fine — all right
  5. tear — from crying
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. board — to get on
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. plane — a tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — high quality
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. content — videos and posts

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