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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.

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: pound · plane · bound · file · staff · last · deal · present

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — tied together
  4. plane — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. staff — a stick
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. present — there
  9. last — final
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pound — a weight
  14. present — the time now
  15. bound — certain
  16. last — finally
  17. file — a tool
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. present — a gift
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. last — to go on
  24. pound — for dogs

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