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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 · wound · fine · chip · fan · bank · perch · hand

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — for betting
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. perch — the fish
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chip — in a computer

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