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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.

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: plane · content · fan · rest · file · pitcher · last · squash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. file — a line of people
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. content — the amount
  6. file — a tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rest — what's left
  14. content — happy
  15. last — to go on
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. last — finally
  18. file — a document
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. last — final
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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