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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. clip — for paper
  4. lean — to bend
  5. current — electric
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — a video
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. lean — thin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. content — the amount
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — of water
  21. content — happy
  22. current — happening now
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bowl — to roll

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