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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spring — the season
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bound — tied together
  8. spring — of water
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. season — in sport
  12. field — for sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wind — moving air
  17. field — a subject
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — to fit
  20. season — of the year
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bound — certain
  24. field — farmland

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