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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: fall · saw · craft · file · nail · tube · plane · season

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — in sport
  4. file — a document
  5. tube — a container
  6. file — a line of people
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. file — a tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. plane — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fall — to drop

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