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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: cue · file · scale · content · date · plane · straw · lash

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cue — for pool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. file — a tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. file — a document
  10. date — the fruit
  11. file — a line of people
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. content — happy
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. scale — size or range
  18. content — the amount
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cue — a signal
  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