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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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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spring — of water
  3. land — ground
  4. swing — music
  5. spring — the season
  6. suit — clothes
  7. land — a country
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lean — thin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to bend
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. swing — in golf
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chip — for betting
  17. swing — to play on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. land — to come down
  22. chip — to eat
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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