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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.

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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: racket · cabinet · chip · saw · bear · stick · hide · spring

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — of water
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chip — for betting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spring — the season
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hide — to keep secret

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