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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 120 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
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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: chip · spring · saw · charge · ruler · mouse · coach · shower

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. spring — of water
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — rain
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — the season
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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