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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. content — the amount
  4. wound — an injury
  5. clip — a video
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. clip — to cut
  12. staff — a stick
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. clip — for paper
  17. staff — employees
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — for light

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