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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: mate · plane · chip · deal · fall · craft · bank · coach

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mate — to breed
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mate — a partner
  8. plane — a tool
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mate — a friend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. deal — to handle
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bank — for money
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — boats
  22. fall — the season
  23. bank — of a river
  24. craft — a skill

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