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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
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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 · lash · arm · ground · club · file · wound · track

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ground — a position
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wound — an injury
  8. club — a group
  9. file — a document
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a tool
  12. track — a path
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. club — for golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. track — to keep track
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. track — a song
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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