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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. drill — army training
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — a short time
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. board — a committee
  9. plane — a tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. chip — for betting
  22. spell — magic
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bulb — of a plant

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