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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: stick · spring · foot · press · chip · mine · race · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — of water
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. race — humankind
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. chip — for betting
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spring — the season
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. race — the arms race
  16. foot — a measure
  17. press — to push
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. press — a publisher
  22. race — a contest
  23. mine — for digging
  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