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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. content — the amount
  3. spring — a coil
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to click
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cue — a signal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. saw — the tool
  13. toast — bread
  14. plane — a tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. spring — of water
  18. content — happy
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cue — a hint
  21. spring — the season
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. hide — to keep secret

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