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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. plane — a tool
  3. present — the time now
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — to recline
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. content — happy
  8. firm — steady
  9. cap — a lid
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — decided
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cap — of ice
  17. present — there
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. firm — a company
  20. dip — to sink
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — an injury
  24. content — the amount

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