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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: saw · cap · mine · cold · wave · ruler · content · plane

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. saw — the tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. content — happy
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cap — a lid
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cap — a hat
  24. plane — a tool

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