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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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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: wave · spell · charge · spring · calf · staff · chip · bowl

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. charge — in control
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. spring — the season
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. charge — a price
  16. chip — to eat
  17. staff — employees
  18. spell — magic
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. charge — electricity
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spring — of water

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