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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: fine · plane · chip · lie · coach · mouse · roll · chest

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lie — to recline
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. roll — a list
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chest — a box

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