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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · bore · plane · nail · snap · content · lash · scale

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bore — to tire
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. plane — a tool
  9. field — for sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. snap — to click
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. content — the amount
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. field — farmland
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. field — a subject
  24. plane — in geometry

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