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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
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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: file · cabinet · jam · dip · wave · plane · fan · roll

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. roll — a list
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. file — a document
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. roll — a cake
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a line of people
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. file — a tool
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. dip — to sink

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