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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. file — a document
  2. bat — the animal
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spring — the season
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — clothes
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spring — of water
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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