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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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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: rest · cell · mate · toast · file · plane

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. file — a tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mate — to breed
  10. toast — bread
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rest — a break
  13. file — a line of people
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mate — a friend

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