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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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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: plane · rock · file · chair · wind · present

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. present — there
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. file — a tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. present — the time now
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wind — moving air
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rock — music
  16. present — a gift
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wind — to turn a key

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