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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: stick · plane · stand · snap · jam · last · date · content

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. content — the amount
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. content — happy
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. last — finally
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. snap — to click
  23. plane — a tool
  24. date — the fruit

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