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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. roll — a cake
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. roll — a list
  8. track — a song
  9. march — music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — hurry
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. snap — to click
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. track — a path
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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