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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — to protest
  6. rock — music
  7. row — a line
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. object — a thing
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. row — to paddle
  14. tear — to rip
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. object — an aim
  17. tear — from crying
  18. roll — a list
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. plane — in geometry

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