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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. row — to paddle
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. band — a ring
  22. plane — a tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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