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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kick — in football
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bore — to drill
  9. content — happy
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fine — high quality
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. plane — a tool
  18. content — the amount
  19. fine — all right
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bore — to tire

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