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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: game · file · plane · net · chip · prune · patient · kick

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. net — for catching
  3. plane — a tool
  4. file — a tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. file — a document
  7. game — wild animals
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. chip — for betting
  11. net — in sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — in football
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chip — to eat
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. game — a match
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kick — a thrill

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