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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: toast · drill · rest · bound · spring · charge · chip · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bound — certain
  3. cap — a lid
  4. spring — a coil
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. charge — electricity
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bound — tied together
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. spring — the season
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. toast — bread
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rest — a break
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spring — of water
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bound — obliged
  24. drill — army training

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