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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: file · bay · fall · chip · bark · plane · craft · mug

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mug — a face
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fall — the season
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bark — to shout
  22. file — a tool
  23. craft — boats
  24. chip — for betting

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