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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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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: ruler · pit · safe · track · chip · kick · spring · hide

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. spring — the season
  15. kick — in football
  16. pit — a hole
  17. track — a song
  18. spring — a coil
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hide — to keep secret

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