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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: bulb · spring · chip · lean · roll · fine · mouse · wind

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spring — the season
  4. wind — moving air
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lean — thin
  7. roll — a list
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fine — all right
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — for betting
  24. roll — on a roll

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