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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hand — in cards
  4. track — a path
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fine — all right
  9. snap — to click
  10. chip — for betting
  11. swing — music
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. swing — to play on
  14. track — a song
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fine — high quality
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. plane — a tool
  24. track — to keep track

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