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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 120 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
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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: staff · content · rule · plane · band · wax · dip · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. dip — to sink
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a lid
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rule — a law
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. band — a ring
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. band — a music group
  19. cap — of ice
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rule — government
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. dip — a sauce

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