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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. swing — to play on
  6. content — the amount
  7. lean — to bend
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lean — thin
  14. cap — a lid
  15. content — happy
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chest — of your body
  18. kick — in football
  19. swing — music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. swing — in golf
  24. chest — a box

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