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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: plane · staff · wake · wave · cap · pitch · tube · content

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cap — of ice
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cap — a lid
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. content — happy
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. content — the amount
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cap — a hat
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — employees
  20. wake — a trail
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — with your hand

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