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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: saw · spring · bear · chip · staff · foot · rock · cabinet

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — of water
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. staff — employees
  11. chip — for betting
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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