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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 124 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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. band — a ring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. plane — a tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. band — a music group
  14. current — electric
  15. season — in sport
  16. current — happening now
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. current — of water
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. season — of the year
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. content — the amount

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