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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: plane · stem · date · mark · can · content · fan · sharp

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. content — happy
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. content — the amount
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a trace
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. can — a tin
  24. date — the fruit

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