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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 116 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: fall · content · dip · wound · bay · hide · fine · plane

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — happy
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. content — the amount
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fall — the season
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — high quality
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fine — all right
  23. dip — to sink
  24. plane — a tool

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