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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. hand — help
  5. track — a path
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. track — to keep track
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. track — a song
  24. hand — in cards

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