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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: mouse · root · chip · lean · chest · can · plane · bank

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chest — a box
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lean — to bend
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lean — thin
  16. root — of a word
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — to eat
  21. root — the cause
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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