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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. content — happy
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. content — the amount
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. perch — the fish
  11. spring — of water
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lean — thin
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rule — a law
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rule — government
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lean — to bend
  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