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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.

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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.

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: bay · lean · wake · tube · pop · chip · row · plane

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pop — music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. tube — a container
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chip — for betting
  16. row — a line
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. row — to paddle
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pop — soda
  22. lean — to bend
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. plane — in geometry

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