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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.

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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: game · leaves · object · charge · chip · net · spring · wax

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — the season
  3. net — for catching
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wax — to grow
  6. net — in sport
  7. object — a thing
  8. charge — electricity
  9. game — a match
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. net — after costs
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. chip — for betting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — of water
  23. game — wild animals
  24. object — an aim

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