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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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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: firm · mate · content · tear · plane · race · scale · wave

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. race — humankind
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — in music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. content — the amount
  11. race — a contest
  12. mate — to breed
  13. tear — from crying
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. content — happy
  21. scale — size or range
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. race — the arms race
  24. wave — of the sea

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