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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chair — a leader
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. suit — to fit
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. suit — clothes
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spring — a coil
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — a sauce

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