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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. kick — in football
  3. spring — of water
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spring — the season

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