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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: row · shower · bound · plane · chip · roll · hide · bulb

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bound — tied together
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. roll — a list
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. roll — a cake
  11. row — a line
  12. chip — for betting
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — rain
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — for light
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — to keep secret

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