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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. track — a song
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. plane — a tool
  12. track — a path
  13. lean — thin
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — to keep track
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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