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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: deal · file · spring · toast · firm · chest · plane · fan

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. file — a line of people
  4. deal — to handle
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — a company
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chest — a box
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. firm — steady
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chest — of your body
  16. spring — of water
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spring — the season
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — decided
  21. toast — bread
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chest — of your body

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