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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: fan · chest · dip · clip · craft · chip · plane · bound

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. craft — a skill
  8. plane — a tool
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bound — certain
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chest — of your body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. craft — boats
  24. bound — obliged

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