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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.

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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: content · date · bowl · saw · leaves · plane · wound · vault

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. content — happy
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. date — on the calendar

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