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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: rock · bore · mine · rash · plane · last · chip · capital

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. last — finally
  12. capital — a city
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — for betting
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chip — to eat
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rock — a stone
  22. capital — money
  23. last — final
  24. mine — for digging

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