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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: present · lash · leaves · file · wave · plane · key · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. present — a gift
  3. plane — a tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. present — there
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. file — a line of people
  17. present — the time now
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. track — a path
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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