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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 · cap · can · bore · stem · saw · lean · spring

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cap — a hat
  5. can — a tin
  6. bore — to drill
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. saw — the tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spring — the season
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bore — to tire
  18. spring — of water
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cap — of ice
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cap — a lid

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