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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. object — an aim
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. chip — for betting
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. squash — the sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chip — to eat
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. object — to protest
  20. row — a line
  21. plane — a tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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