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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: bay · hide · plane · wind · kick · bound · net · file

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wind — moving air
  4. file — a document
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. file — a line of people
  8. kick — in football
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — tied together
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. net — for catching
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — in sport
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bound — certain

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