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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: bank · plane · lie · fork · tube · chip · nail · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lie — to recline
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — in a road
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — a container
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chip — to eat

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