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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lean — to bend
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. snap — to click
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. charge — in control
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spring — the season
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. kick — in football
  14. lean — thin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. game — a match
  17. deal — to handle
  18. game — wild animals
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. charge — electricity
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. spring — of water
  24. charge — a price

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