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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. plane — a tool
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. clip — a video
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. content — the amount
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. clip — for paper
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. capital — money
  16. content — happy
  17. pop — soda
  18. clip — to cut
  19. capital — a city
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — in football
  23. pop — music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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