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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 116 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: file · hand · can · firm · fine · plane · band · ground

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. can — a tin
  7. firm — a company
  8. ground — crushed
  9. firm — steady
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. file — a tool
  12. hand — help
  13. band — a ring
  14. fine — high quality
  15. can — to be able to
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. file — a line of people
  19. firm — decided
  20. band — a music group
  21. file — a document
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. can — a tin

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