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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 116 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. clip — a video
  9. plane — a tool
  10. present — there
  11. shower — rain
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. clip — to cut
  15. present — a gift
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. present — the time now

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