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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: plane · rash · cabinet · wave · field · staff · content · ruler

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rash — a series
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. content — the amount
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. field — farmland
  22. content — happy
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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