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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: plane · calf · club · jam · spell · present · rest · file

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. spell — letters
  5. file — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. file — a line of people
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — a break
  13. spell — a short time
  14. club — for dancing
  15. present — the time now
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spell — magic
  18. club — for golf
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. present — there
  22. file — a document
  23. club — a group
  24. plane — a tool

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