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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. spring — of water
  2. charge — a price
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chip — for betting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cap — of ice
  17. charge — in control
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. spring — the season
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chip — to eat

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