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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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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: chair · plane · racket · deal · chip · hand · rest · nail

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rest — a break
  15. deal — to handle
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hand — 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