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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. mate — a friend
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. spring — a coil
  4. squash — the sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. current — of water
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. current — electric
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mate — to breed
  14. spring — of water
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. current — happening now
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chip — for betting
  22. spring — the season
  23. key — the most important part
  24. chip — to eat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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