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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. chip — to eat
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — soda
  9. rule — government
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rule — a law
  18. pop — to visit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. staff — employees
  24. pop — 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