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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a trace
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mate — to breed
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. game — a match
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bass — low music
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mark — a grade

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