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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 · file · mouse · present · arm · cap · content · root

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. file — a tool
  7. cap — a hat
  8. root — of a word
  9. present — the time now
  10. cap — of ice
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. root — the cause
  14. file — a line of people
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cap — a lid
  18. root — of a plant
  19. content — the amount
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — there
  23. content — happy
  24. file — a document

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