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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: cabinet · hand · content · date · pop · plane · wake · fine

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pop — soda
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fine — all right
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pop — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. content — happy
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hand — help
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fine — high quality
  22. content — the amount
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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