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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. game — a match
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. content — the amount
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — low music
  12. content — happy
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mark — a trace
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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