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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chip — to eat
  4. object — a thing
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. object — to protest
  11. spring — a coil
  12. branch — a division
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. content — the amount
  16. fall — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. object — an aim
  19. content — happy
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. spring — the season

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