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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — for money
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spring — the season
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — a tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. chip — for betting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spring — of water
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bank — of a river
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bat — the animal

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