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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. content — the amount
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. file — a document
  6. cue — a signal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — happy
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. file — a tool
  19. ball — a great time
  20. cue — for pool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. content — videos and posts

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