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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · season · plane · nail · capital · toast · foot · object

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — an aim
  9. foot — a measure
  10. capital — a city
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. file — a document
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. season — of the year
  15. object — to protest
  16. file — a line of people
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. toast — bread
  21. capital — money
  22. object — a thing
  23. plane — a tool
  24. capital — a big letter

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