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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · chip · bass · squash · last · cell · firm · mug

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. firm — decided
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. firm — a company
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mug — to rob
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mug — a cup
  18. firm — steady
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mug — a face
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bass — low music
  24. last — finally

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