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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.

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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: leaves · plane · kick · chip · bass · stand · tear · court

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chip — to eat
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. court — of a king
  8. tear — from crying
  9. kick — in football
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. plane — a tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stand — to bear
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bass — low music
  20. court — for sport
  21. bass — the fish
  22. court — of law
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. tear — to rip

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