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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 120 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: plane · hand · rock · dip · tube · chip · bay · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. dip — to sink
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tube — a container
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hand — help
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rock — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tube — the underground
  23. plane — a tool
  24. hand — in cards

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