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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — a trace
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — in a road
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bank — for money
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. charge — in control
  24. cabinet — ministers

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