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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: chip · safe · saw · present · can · net · spring · bear

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. net — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. present — the time now
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — for betting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spring — the season
  23. present — there
  24. can — a tin

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