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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lean — to bend
  17. key — in music
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — happy
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. key — the most important part

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