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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. current — happening now
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. current — of water
  8. land — a country
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. land — to come down
  11. plane — a tool
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. land — ground
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. squash — to crush
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chip — for betting
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. current — electric

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