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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: lie · hand · plane · staff · prune · bass · chip · can

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. chip — for betting
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — help
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. hand — in cards
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. plane — a tool
  23. can — to be able to
  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