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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. roll — a cake
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chest — a box
  12. toast — bread
  13. chest — of your body
  14. roll — a list
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chip — to eat
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. plane — a tool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. toast — the most admired

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