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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. suit — in cards
  5. last — finally
  6. spring — of water
  7. content — the amount
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. content — happy
  10. last — to go on
  11. suit — clothes
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. spring — the season
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — a coil
  18. race — a contest
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. last — final
  24. suit — to fit

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