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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: chip · fall · perch · plane · file · deal · net · object

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. net — after costs
  6. file — a line of people
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chip — for betting
  9. file — a document
  10. deal — to handle
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. file — a tool
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — a tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chip — to eat
  18. object — to protest
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. net — in sport

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