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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: suit · saw · coach · foot · plane · chip · tear · racket

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tear — to rip
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. suit — clothes
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tear — from crying
  17. foot — a measure
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — a tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. suit — in cards

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