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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: plane · bore · shower · spring · charge · cap · firm · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. charge — a price
  4. shower — to wash
  5. plane — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. bore — to tire
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. firm — a company
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. firm — decided
  12. shower — rain
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spring — the season
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. firm — steady
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cap — of ice
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bore — to drill

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