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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 120 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: chip · plane · rash · row · swing · perch · capital · hide

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — a series
  7. chip — to eat
  8. row — to paddle
  9. plane — a tool
  10. perch — the fish
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. capital — money
  24. perch — for a bird

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