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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bass — low music
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cue — a signal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — for pool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chip — for betting
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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