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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
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 · mouse · toast · face · root · plane · spring · scale

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. face — to confront
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. file — a document
  5. toast — bread
  6. file — a line of people
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. file — a tool
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spring — of water
  15. scale — in music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. scale — size or range
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spring — the season
  24. face — part of the head

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