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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. plane — a tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — the time now
  9. wound — an injury
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. file — a tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. present — there
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — a gift
  24. file — a document

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