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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: file · bear · wave · rash · plane · fall · land · rest

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. file — a line of people
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. file — a document
  5. rest — a break
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — a series
  22. fall — to drop
  23. land — to come down
  24. wave — with your hand

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