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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · cell · wax · saw · fan · rash · plane · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — the amount
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rash — a series
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. content — happy
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cell — in biology
  24. plane — an aircraft

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