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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 · sharp · dip · straw · mate · can · foot · spell

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a friend
  4. can — to be able to
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. spring — the season
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spell — a short time
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spell — letters
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. foot — a measure
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — a coil
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mate — a partner
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. spell — magic
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — of water
  24. sharp — clever

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