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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cap — a hat
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — of water
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. spring — the season
  13. craft — boats
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. last — to go on
  16. plane — a tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cap — a lid
  19. craft — a skill
  20. spring — a coil
  21. last — final
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. last — finally

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