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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chest — a box
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chest — of your body
  10. capital — money
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. capital — a city
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chest — of your body
  24. plane — a tool

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