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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. game — a match
  5. plane — a tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. content — happy
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — the month
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. content — the amount
  14. fall — the season
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rock — music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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