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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 · file · wind · dip · capital · wave · plane · rash

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chip — for betting
  3. file — a tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chip — to eat
  9. plane — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rash — a series
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wave — with your hand

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