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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: rock · drill · sharp · roll · clip · rash · plane · content

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rash — a series
  5. clip — for paper
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. drill — army training
  10. rash — hasty
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rock — a stone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. content — happy
  18. clip — a video
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. content — the amount
  21. roll — a list
  22. rock — music
  23. roll — a cake
  24. plane — a tool

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