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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cell — a phone
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spell — letters
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — thin
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cue — for pool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. spell — magic
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spell — a short time
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cell — in biology
  24. plane — a tool

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