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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: plane · bay · drill · kick · file · rush · foot · cap

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rush — hurry
  3. kick — in football
  4. cap — a lid
  5. file — a line of people
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. file — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. plane — a tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cap — a hat
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. drill — army training
  24. bay — a horse colour

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