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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lean — thin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. content — the amount
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. current — of water
  7. content — happy
  8. mark — a trace
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — boats
  14. current — happening now
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — electric
  22. craft — a skill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wake — a trail

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