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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: lash · file · scale · leaves · foot · cold · plane · dip

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cold — not warm
  3. file — a line of people
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. file — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. dip — to sink
  10. plane — a tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — size or range
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. dip — to dunk

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