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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. spell — a short time
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chip — for betting
  6. spring — of water
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. spring — the season
  11. spell — letters
  12. firm — steady
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spell — magic
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bore — to drill
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. tear — to rip

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