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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. plane — a tool
  3. content — the amount
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. content — happy
  8. present — there
  9. bore — to drill
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. swing — music
  12. key — in music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. lean — to bend
  15. present — a gift
  16. swing — in golf
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lean — thin
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. present — the time now
  24. key — for a lock

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