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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.

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: spring · chip · tube · fan · cabinet · chair · mouse · rule

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rule — a law
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — a container
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — a coil
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rule — government

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