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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: file · plane · fan · object · arm · cell · racket · fork

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. cell — in biology
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. object — to protest
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fork — in a road
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  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