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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 124 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a dance
  10. spring — the season
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rest — what's left
  14. swing — music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rest — a break
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wave — with your hand

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