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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · toast · capital · lean · chip · plane

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. capital — a city
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. capital — money
  7. tear — to rip
  8. chip — to eat
  9. plane — a tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. toast — bread

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