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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · spring · sharp · bear · safe · stock

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hand — help
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. spring — the season
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bear — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — a coil
  14. hand — in cards
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stock — goods
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. sharp — exactly

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