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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — in sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. swing — to play on
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kid — child
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. suit — in cards
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bank — of a river
  15. net — for catching
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chip — for betting
  20. kid — to tease
  21. net — after costs
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bank — for money
  24. swing — music

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