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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. file — a document
  3. saw — the tool
  4. file — a tool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hand — help
  16. capital — a city
  17. hand — in cards
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. capital — money
  23. object — a thing
  24. file — a line of people

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