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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: chest · scale · sharp · suit · hide · spring · bowl · pit

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. spring — of water
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — a hole
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. suit — to fit
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. scale — in music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. spring — the season
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. sharp — clever

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