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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.

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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: row · saw · fan · rash · chip · bear · plane · jam

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rash — a series
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

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