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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. chip — for betting
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — ground
  11. chip — to eat
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. land — a country
  18. lash — to lash out

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