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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · season · fan · plane · calf · coach · bound · fine

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a tool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. season — in sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bound — tied together
  12. file — a document
  13. bound — certain
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. season — of the year
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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