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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 116 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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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: root · rush · chair · chip · file · plane · snap · kick

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — to eat
  5. file — a document
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. root — of a plant
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. chair — a leader
  10. snap — to click
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. file — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. root — the cause
  19. kick — in football
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. file — a line of people
  22. root — of a word
  23. rush — hurry
  24. chip — for betting

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