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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.

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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 · deal · chest · last · stick · jam · sharp · bear

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chest — of your body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. last — finally
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — clever

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