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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: ball · pound · file · board · season · spell · fall · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. board — to get on
  9. plane — a tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — in sport
  17. fall — the season
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a committee

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