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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: plane · temple · stick · band · file · clip · suit · present

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. clip — for paper
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a ring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. file — a tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. suit — to fit
  16. file — a line of people
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. file — a document
  20. present — a gift
  21. clip — to cut
  22. suit — clothes
  23. clip — a video
  24. suit — in cards

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