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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.

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: perch · pit · dip · pop · file · stand · fan · plane

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pit — a hole
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pop — music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pit — in a race
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. perch — the fish

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