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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 broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spring — the season
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tear — to rip
  9. spring — of water
  10. tear — from crying
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tear — from crying
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. object — to protest
  16. craft — boats
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fan — a supporter

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