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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spell — letters
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mine — for digging
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. band — a music group
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — magic
  19. fine — all right
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chip — for betting
  22. band — a ring
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spell — a short time

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