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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. race — a contest
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a grade
  13. race — humankind
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. content — the amount
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. prune — to trim
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mark — a trace

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