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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stand — to bear
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. row — a line
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — the amount
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. plane — a tool

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