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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: leaves · plane · tear · chest · object · chip · cue · club

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chest — a box
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chest — of your body
  12. club — a group
  13. object — an aim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. club — for golf
  16. object — a thing
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chip — to eat
  19. object — to protest
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cue — a hint
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cue — for pool
  24. tear — to rip

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