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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · vault · chip · hide · chair · nail · perch · sharp

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chair — a leader
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chip — for betting
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. vault — a safe
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. perch — the fish

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