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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spring — a coil
  6. craft — a skill
  7. season — of the year
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. craft — boats
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spring — the season
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. spell — magic
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hand — help
  19. pass — a permit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. chip — to eat
  22. season — in sport
  23. spring — of water
  24. nail — for a hammer

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