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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: rest · game · leaves · nail · spring · mine · cap · chip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a lid
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. cap — of ice
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. game — a match
  18. rest — what's left
  19. game — wild animals
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rest — a break
  24. nail — for a hammer

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