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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: row · date · chip · wave · mouse · spring · firm · face

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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 — in a computer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. row — a line
  4. firm — a company
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. row — to paddle
  7. firm — decided
  8. date — the fruit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. face — to confront
  15. spring — the season
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. spring — a coil
  19. chip — to eat
  20. firm — steady
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wave — with your hand
  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