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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: chip · spring · bore · spell · chest · nail · deal · mate

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spring — of water
  3. spell — letters
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chip — to eat
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spell — magic
  21. spring — the season
  22. chest — a box
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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