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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. plane — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cap — of ice
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. last — finally
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. file — a tool
  12. chip — for betting
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. craft — boats
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. cap — a hat
  24. plane — in geometry

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