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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: plane · rash · tear · file · board · bulb · mate · foot

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. file — a line of people
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — a committee
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. file — a document
  17. board — to get on
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a friend
  21. file — a tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. plane — a 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