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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
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 · content · cabinet · rash · stick · cue · wake · scale

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. content — the amount
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — a signal
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — a series
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cue — a hint
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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