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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 · degree · face · chip · object · hide · spring · patient

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. tube — a container
  3. object — an aim
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. face — to confront
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. tube — the underground
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — a thing
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. chip — for betting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — to protest
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. degree — temperature
  24. face — to point toward

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