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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spring — of water
  6. band — a ring
  7. fine — all right
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. tear — to rip
  13. spring — the season
  14. tear — from crying
  15. band — a music group
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fine — high quality
  18. chip — for betting

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