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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: chip · bulb · present · cap · fall · ground · plane · wave

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fall — to drop
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ground — a position
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — the time now
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fall — the season
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  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