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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 · wax · band · drill · track · content · fork · rash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. content — the amount
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. drill — the tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — a series
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. drill — army training
  24. track — a song

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