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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.

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 · safe · racket · tear · lash · land · file · spell

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. land — to come down
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. land — a country
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spell — a short time
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. tear — to rip
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. file — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. land — ground
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a line of people

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