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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. file — a document
  3. rest — a break
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. spring — of water
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tube — the underground
  14. craft — boats
  15. spring — a coil
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rest — what's left
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hand — help
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. spring — 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