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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: content · deal · bass · lash · row · chip · file · plane

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. file — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. content — happy
  5. row — a line
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. content — the amount
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bass — the fish

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