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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: mine · chip · wind · cabinet · spring · deal · tear · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — of water
  11. object — to protest
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tear — to rip
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wind — moving air
  16. spring — the season
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. object — an aim
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spring — a coil
  24. tear — from crying

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