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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. court — for sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. court — of law
  13. pop — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — of a king
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chip — to eat
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — to visit

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