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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · capital · perch · file · lie · patient · chip · plane

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. plane — a tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — the tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. file — a line of people
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — the fish
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chip — in a computer

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