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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: bound · chip · firm · fall · plane · deal · net · rash

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. firm — steady
  8. rash — hasty
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — a series
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. bound — tied together
  24. net — in sport

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