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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. plane — a tool
  3. suit — clothes
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. row — to paddle
  10. toast — bread
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. date — the fruit
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. row — a line
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. file — a tool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. file — a document
  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