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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: chest · plane · root · chip · rest · swing · fan · bound

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bound — certain
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — for betting
  7. root — the cause
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — tied together
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chest — a box
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — a break
  21. swing — in golf
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. swing — music

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