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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · dip · leaves · rock · last · cue · kid · file

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cue — a hint
  3. file — a tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. kid — to tease
  10. cue — for pool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. last — finally
  13. kid — child
  14. last — final
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. file — a document
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cue — a signal
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. last — to go on

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