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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: mouse · kid · nail · plane · hide · perch · file · last

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. kid — child
  6. last — to go on
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a document
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. last — final
  18. kid — to tease
  19. perch — the fish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. file — a tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — finally

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