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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. capital — money
  2. file — a tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spring — of water
  14. capital — a city
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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