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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.

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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: staff · mate · fan · shower · plane · cabinet · firm · chip

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. staff — a stick
  3. chip — for betting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — to wash
  14. firm — decided
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — rain
  19. firm — steady
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. firm — a company
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fan — a supporter

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