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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rash — a series
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chip — to eat
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tube — a container
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rash — hasty
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. deal — to handle
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rash — on the skin
  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