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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.

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: roll · can · band · game · fan · nail · file · plane

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. can — to be able to
  3. plane — a tool
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. file — a line of people
  6. roll — a cake
  7. file — a document
  8. game — wild animals
  9. roll — a list
  10. file — a tool
  11. game — a match
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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