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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: band · suit · plane · cap · scale · file · fan · bore

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. band — a music group
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. suit — in cards
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to tire
  11. file — a line of people
  12. cap — of ice
  13. file — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. scale — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a document
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bore — to drill
  20. plane — a tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. band — a ring

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