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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spring — the season
  3. mark — a trace
  4. staff — a stick
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bank — of a river
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. craft — boats
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — of water
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bank — for money

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