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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: firm · chip · squash · key · spring · arm · tube · row

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. firm — steady
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. squash — the sport
  5. row — a line
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. row — to paddle
  10. squash — to crush
  11. firm — a company
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spring — the season
  16. tube — a container
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. firm — decided
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — the underground
  23. key — for a lock
  24. row — a quarrel

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