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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 120 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: cell · file · hide · cabinet · spring · kid · sharp · plane

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. kid — to tease
  4. sharp — clever
  5. file — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — child
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. plane — a tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. file — a line of people
  22. spring — a coil
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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