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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: plane · chest · bank · rock · file · key · bay · season

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — of the year
  4. file — a document
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a line of people
  8. plane — a tool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chest — of your body
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chest — a box
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rock — a stone
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rock — music
  24. chest — of your body

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