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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chip — to eat
  8. root — of a word
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. land — ground
  12. plane — a tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spring — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. land — a country
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chip — for betting

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