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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: spring · arm · sharp · snap · chip · can · patient · lean

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spring — a coil
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lean — thin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. snap — to click
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spring — of water
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spring — the season
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. can — a tin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. chip — for betting

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