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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. suit — in cards
  6. shower — to wash
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. shower — rain
  9. suit — clothes
  10. craft — a skill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. craft — boats
  13. suit — to fit
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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