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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. chip — to eat
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — for betting
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a document
  23. staff — employees
  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