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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: rash · court · foot · clip · content · ruler · wake · plane

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. content — happy
  3. plane — a tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. clip — a video
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. clip — to cut
  12. court — of a king
  13. foot — a measure
  14. content — the amount
  15. rash — a series
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rash — hasty
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wake — a trail

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