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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 · spring · nail · lean · bear · net · cue · wave

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. net — in sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. net — for catching
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cue — a hint
  12. spring — the season
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — clever
  19. net — after costs
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spring — of water
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spring — a coil

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