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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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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: file · chip · squash · plane · pit · calf · bank · wind

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bank — of a river
  7. file — a document
  8. chip — for betting
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. file — a tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. chip — to eat

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