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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tear — to rip
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — there
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — the time now
  9. tear — from crying
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kid — to tease
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — child
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — happy
  23. dip — to sink
  24. present — a gift

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