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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: jam · scale · plane · tear · stick · bore · chip · arm

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. scale — in music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bore — to tire
  22. plane — a tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. plane — in geometry

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