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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · fan · trunk · leaves · cabinet · object · plane · stick

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — to eat
  6. object — a thing
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. chip — for betting
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. object — an aim
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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