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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: file · rule · bay · craft · cabinet · plane · stand · bass

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. bass — low music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. file — a tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. file — a document
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bass — the fish
  17. file — a line of people
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rule — government
  20. craft — a skill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stand — on your feet

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