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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. net — after costs
  4. lean — to bend
  5. spring — of water
  6. last — final
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. last — to go on
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. net — in sport
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spring — a coil
  13. net — for catching
  14. last — finally
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lean — thin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body

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