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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 geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. swing — music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chip — to eat
  7. net — in sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. net — for catching
  12. staff — a stick
  13. net — after costs
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wake — a trail
  17. staff — employees
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — to play on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chip — for betting

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