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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: sharp · kid · spring · chest · bowl · chair · pass · can

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chest — a box
  24. bowl — to roll

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