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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
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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: bulb · can · sharp · drill · lean · spring · chip · wax

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. drill — army training
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — to grow
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chip — to eat
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. drill — a practice
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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