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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: content · fall · firm · plane · file · spring · chip · spell

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. content — happy
  6. file — a line of people
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chip — to eat
  15. file — a tool
  16. chip — for betting
  17. firm — decided
  18. spring — of water
  19. fall — the season
  20. file — a document
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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