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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 116 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: net · wax · stem · fan · chip · spring · deal · charge

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spring — the season
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. net — after costs
  7. spring — of water
  8. charge — in control
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. deal — to handle
  14. charge — a price
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. net — for catching
  18. charge — electricity
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stem — to come from

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