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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: content · foot · lean · rock · chair · band · plane · date

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lean — thin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. date — the fruit
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rock — music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. content — the amount
  15. band — a ring
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a music group
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. content — happy
  21. plane — a tool
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lean — to rest against

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