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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 120 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 · track · rush · board · band · plane · lean · wind

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. board — a committee
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wind — moving air
  5. file — a tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. plane — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. band — a music group
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. band — a ring
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. track — a path
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. board — to get on
  19. track — a song
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — hurry
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. track — to keep track

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