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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: current · spring · file · present · chip · mate · rest · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. mug — a face
  2. spring — the season
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a tool
  5. present — the time now
  6. mate — a friend
  7. present — there
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rest — a break
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — electric
  13. rest — what's left
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mate — a partner
  16. file — a document
  17. current — of water
  18. mate — to breed
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — for betting
  21. present — a gift
  22. chip — to eat
  23. spring — a coil
  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