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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: file · content · snap · bear · rock · mark · plane · land

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. land — to come down
  8. file — a tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. land — ground
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a document
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. land — a country
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mark — a grade
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. snap — to click

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