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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: saw · plane · hide · mine · deal · chip · bulb · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. plane — a tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hide — animal skin

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