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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: cell · chest · chip · charge · can · spring · wound · plane

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — in control
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spring — the season
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wound — an injury
  13. charge — a price
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spring — of water
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — electricity

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