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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · cell · wound · sharp · chip · can · ruler · spell

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. spell — letters
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. chip — to eat
  6. can — a tin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spell — magic
  12. can — a tin
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cell — in biology

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