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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 computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spring — of water
  3. kick — in football
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fine — all right
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spring — the season
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — a coil

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