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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: bear · swing · bound · degree · plane · chip · shower · rush

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. swing — in golf
  8. degree — temperature
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chip — for betting
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bound — certain
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. shower — rain
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bound — tied together
  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