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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: face · dip · rock · spell · plane · content · pop · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. plane — a tool
  3. content — happy
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. face — part of the head
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. spell — letters
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rock — music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. dip — to sink
  16. content — the amount
  17. spell — magic
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pop — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pop — soda
  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