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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. scale — size or range
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cold — an illness
  13. suit — to fit
  14. board — a committee
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cold — not warm
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. scale — in music
  20. mug — a cup
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. file — a document
  24. mug — a face

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