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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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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: mouse · spring · can · chip · cold · last · stand · fan

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. last — final
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. last — to go on
  6. chip — to eat
  7. last — finally
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. can — a tin
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — to bear
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. spring — the season
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stand — on your feet
  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