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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: mouse · file · kick · plane · wound · rash · present · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — the time now
  6. file — a tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. file — a line of people
  9. present — there
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. present — a gift
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. file — a document
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — hasty

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