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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: sharp · can · kid · swing · spring · content · hand · bay

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — a coil
  4. can — to be able to
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. content — the amount
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hand — help
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. swing — in golf
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. swing — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hand — in cards
  21. spring — of water
  22. kid — child
  23. spring — the season
  24. content — happy

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