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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · lash · plane · ball · nail · clip · straw

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. clip — for paper
  3. land — to come down
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — ground
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. clip — to cut
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a great time
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. clip — a video
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. land — a country
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ball — a dance
  24. nail — for a hammer

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