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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: suit · plane · cabinet · content · mug · wake · ground · arm

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wake — a trail
  4. plane — a tool
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. suit — to fit
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mug — a face
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mug — a cup
  18. content — happy
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ground — a position
  23. content — the amount
  24. cabinet — ministers

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