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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · bound · plane · file · spring · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. plane — a tool
  4. file — a tool
  5. fine — all right
  6. file — a document
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. file — a line of people
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spring — of water
  14. bound — tied together
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bound — certain

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