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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cold — an illness
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tube — a container
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — a line
  15. cold — not warm
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. net — for catching
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. chip — to eat

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