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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 120 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: file · board · cell · ball · saw · staff · plane · march

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. march — music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. file — a document
  10. cell — in biology
  11. file — a tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a great time
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a committee
  24. saw — the tool

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