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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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 — the season
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. hand — help
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. spring — a coil
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. press — newspapers
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — to eat
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chip — for betting
  14. press — to push
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bat — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. face — to confront
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. firm — decided
  21. press — a publisher
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  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