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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: cabinet · plane · mug · track · safe · swing · wake · file

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. swing — in golf
  7. track — to keep track
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. plane — a tool
  10. swing — to play on
  11. track — a path
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — a cup
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a document
  23. track — a song
  24. mug — a face

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