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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: patient · squash · current · trunk · drill · plane · file · chip

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chip — to eat
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. drill — a practice
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. plane — a tool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. chip — for betting
  19. file — a document
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. current — of water
  24. trunk — of a car

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