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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: jam · lie · coach · stem · chip · cold · plane · net

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lie — to recline
  4. net — for catching
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cold — not warm
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. net — in sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cold — an illness
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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