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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. file — a document
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. last — finally
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. file — a line of people
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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