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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: calf · file · drill · leaves · key · rush · plane · season

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. season — of the year
  3. drill — army training
  4. file — a document
  5. key — the most important part
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. drill — the tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. key — in music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. plane — a tool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. file — a line of people
  19. drill — a practice
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. season — in sport
  24. file — a tool

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