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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: spring · rush · pit · snap · chair · nail · cabinet · bear

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spring — the season
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a leader
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spring — of water
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. snap — to click
  24. nail — for a hammer

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