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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 120 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
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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: suit · sharp · board · tube · chest · spring · bear · temple

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. board — to get on
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. sharp — clever
  8. suit — clothes
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spring — the season
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — of water
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. suit — in cards
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chest — of your body
  22. tube — a container
  23. temple — side of the head
  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