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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lie — to recline
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — the amount
  12. mark — a trace
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. court — of law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. content — happy
  19. court — for sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. court — of a king
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mark — a grade

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