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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chair — a leader
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spring — of water
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. season — of the year
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — the animal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spring — the season
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wind — moving air
  23. season — in sport
  24. leaves — of a tree

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