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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · plane · rock · hide · row · key · chest · content

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. row — a line
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. row — to paddle
  11. key — the most important part
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. content — happy
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chest — a box
  24. bulb — for light

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