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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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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: swing · chip · craft · kid · plane · kick · wound · rest

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. kick — in football
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rest — a break
  11. swing — to play on
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. craft — a skill
  14. kid — child
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. swing — in golf
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rest — what's left
  19. craft — boats
  20. chip — to eat
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kid — to tease
  23. swing — music
  24. wound — an injury

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