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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — to eat
  4. file — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. file — a document
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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