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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. snap — to click
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pop — music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. present — there
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. present — a gift
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bass — low music
  15. pop — soda
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. present — the time now
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stem — to come from

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