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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.

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: ruler · key · spring · can · arm · bear · chip · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spring — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. key — in music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chip — for betting
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chip — in a computer

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