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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. content — the amount
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. march — the month
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ball — a great time
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bound — obliged
  16. snap — to click
  17. bound — certain
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. content — happy
  23. march — music
  24. fork — in a road

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