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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
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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: content · mate · sharp · plane · perch · board · cold · date

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cold — an illness
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mate — to breed
  9. date — the fruit
  10. plane — a tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — happy
  13. sharp — clever
  14. perch — the fish
  15. board — a committee
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. board — to get on
  19. mate — a friend
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cold — not warm
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mate — a partner

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