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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.

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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: plane · bat · bore · jam · chip · band · clip · fan

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. band — a music group
  7. bore — to drill
  8. clip — a video
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. band — a ring
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. chip — to eat
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fan — a supporter

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