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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.

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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: pound · lash · plane · face · file · wound · ruler · capital

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wound — an injury
  10. face — to confront
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. capital — a city
  13. file — a tool
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. capital — money
  18. face — to point toward
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. file — a document
  24. plane — in geometry

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