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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: spring · spell · hand · chip · content · rest · stand · mug

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. spring — the season
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spring — of water
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — a face
  12. rest — a break
  13. chip — to eat
  14. hand — in cards
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hand — help
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — letters
  23. content — the amount
  24. mug — a cup

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