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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. key — in music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lean — thin
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. key — for a lock
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. plane — a tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ground — a position
  21. shower — rain
  22. kick — in football
  23. fork — in a road
  24. kick — with a leg

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