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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: cold · suit · scale · wave · sharp · chip · can · cell

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cell — in biology
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. scale — size or range
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chip — to eat
  11. scale — in music
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. suit — clothes
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. suit — to fit

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