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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: can · rule · sharp · lean · dip · spring · chair · rush

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spring — the season
  6. lean — thin
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. can — to be able to
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chair — a leader
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spring — of water
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. chair — a professorship

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