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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.

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: plane · chip · roll · row · tube · hide · capital · swing

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. chip — for betting
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. roll — a list
  5. tube — the underground
  6. capital — a city
  7. tube — a container
  8. swing — music
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — a tool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. capital — money
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. swing — to play on
  21. row — a line
  22. swing — in golf
  23. roll — a cake
  24. plane — in geometry

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