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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · hand · spring · season · can · stick · squash · coach

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. can — to be able to
  3. sharp — clever
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. season — in sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spring — a coil
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. hand — help
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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