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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
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: bay · mine · stand · row · content · plane · wax · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. plane — a tool
  13. content — happy
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. content — the amount
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stand — to bear
  24. content — videos and posts

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