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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: cap · staff · cold · chip · spell · firm · plane · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cap — of ice
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. staff — employees
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. cold — an illness
  17. plane — a tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. firm — a company
  21. cap — a hat
  22. staff — a stick
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a tool

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