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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: temple · plane · field · fine · can · band · file · arm

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fine — high quality
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. file — a document
  10. fine — all right
  11. field — farmland
  12. file — a tool
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. band — a ring
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. file — a line of people
  24. band — a music group

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