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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spring — the season
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. band — a ring
  11. rule — government
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chip — to eat
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rule — a law
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. date — the fruit
  24. spring — of water

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