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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: fan · fork · plane · file · spring · staff · mouse · firm

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. staff — a stick
  5. plane — a tool
  6. file — a tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. staff — employees
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. file — a document
  15. firm — a company
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. firm — steady
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fork — in a road
  23. staff — employees
  24. firm — decided

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