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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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — a tin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cold — an illness
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mine — for digging

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