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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. content — the amount
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. content — happy
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — of water
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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