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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: nail · kid · dip · chip · lean · land · plane · spell

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. land — a country
  3. lean — to bend
  4. land — to come down
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kid — child
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lean — thin
  10. spell — magic
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — letters
  19. land — ground
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spell — a short time

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