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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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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: file · rock · net · plane · lean · ground · wax · content

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. net — in sport
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rock — a stone
  5. plane — a tool
  6. ground — a position
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. file — a document
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — after costs
  15. content — the amount
  16. file — a tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — for catching
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — music
  24. content — happy

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