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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: content · patient · suit · fall · plane · wave · ball · clip

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ball — a dance
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. content — happy
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. clip — a video
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. content — the amount
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — clothes
  19. clip — to cut
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fall — the season

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