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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · bank · spell · plane · lash · last · cabinet · file

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cap — of ice
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — magic
  10. bank — for money
  11. file — a line of people
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bank — for money
  20. spell — letters
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cap — a hat

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