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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · hide · dip · deal · lean · chip · chair · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  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. spring — the season
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chair — a leader
  4. tube — the underground
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — thin
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — to sink
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — to handle
  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