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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 116 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: nail · wind · wave · staff · file · bore · plane · face

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. file — a document
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. file — a tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. file — a line of people
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. plane — a tool

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