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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  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. charge — a price
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. charge — electricity
  7. spring — the season
  8. charge — in control
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chip — for betting
  12. race — a contest
  13. season — of the year
  14. squash — the sport
  15. chip — to eat
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. race — humankind
  21. squash — to crush
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. season — in sport
  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