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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. spring — of water
  3. chip — to eat
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chip — for betting
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spring — the season
  10. charge — electricity
  11. squash — to crush
  12. last — finally
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. charge — a price
  15. squash — the sport
  16. last — final
  17. charge — in control
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mate — a partner
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spring — a coil

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