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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: trunk · ball · leaves · chip · saw · plane · bass · row

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ball — a great time
  3. row — a line
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ball — a dance
  16. plane — a tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. row — to paddle
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. chip — in a computer

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