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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chip — to eat
  4. shower — rain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spell — magic
  11. cell — in biology
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spring — the season
  15. plane — a tool
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. spring — of water
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cell — a phone
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. spring — a coil

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