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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 broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. dip — to sink
  7. board — a committee
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — a hole
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spring — the season
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. fall — the season
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — to get on
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fall — to drop

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