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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
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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: shower · swing · plane · mate · dip · calf · content · spell

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. content — happy
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — letters
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. shower — rain
  15. swing — in golf
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. swing — to play on
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spell — a short time
  23. swing — music
  24. content — the amount

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