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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spring — of water
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — to be able to
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. snap — to click
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. dip — to sink
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. spring — a coil

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