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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: plane · content · foot · game · firm · wave · sharp · date

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. sharp — clever
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. content — happy
  9. firm — steady
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. game — a match
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. foot — a measure
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — wild animals
  23. content — videos and posts
  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