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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
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: firm · can · spring · coach · dip · bear · kid · file

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. can — to be able to
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. firm — a company
  16. spring — of water
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — steady
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. can — a tin

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