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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: chest · hand · game · plane · mug · chip · bowl · bound

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bound — certain
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chest — a box
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. chest — of your body
  12. game — a match
  13. hand — help
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chip — for betting

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