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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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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: fall · patient · wind · key · wound · plane · arm · file

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a document
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. plane — a tool
  12. key — the most important part
  13. file — a tool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a line of people
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wound — an injury
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wind — moving air
  24. key — in music

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