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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: lash · plane · chip · bound · bear · shower · rock · bat

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. shower — rain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rock — music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bound — tied together

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