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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: plane · deal · chip · bass · land · fall · spring · nail

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. spring — of water
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fall — to drop
  10. land — ground
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fall — the season
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. spring — the season
  18. land — to come down
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — a country
  21. fall — to drop
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bass — low music
  24. deal — a big deal

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