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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. track — to keep track
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. content — the amount
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lean — to bend
  14. track — a song
  15. hand — in cards
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. hand — help
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. track — a path
  23. content — happy
  24. patient — a sick person

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