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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · tube · plane · hide · chip · race · ball · fork

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — a container
  4. chip — to eat
  5. race — humankind
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spring — of water
  14. ball — a dance
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fork — in a road
  21. race — a contest
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. race — the arms race

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