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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: racket · cabinet · hand · tube · roll · plane · chip · tear

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chip — for betting
  6. roll — a list
  7. tube — a container
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hand — help
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. hand — in cards
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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