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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — a coil
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. object — to protest
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spring — of water
  22. object — a thing
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — an aim

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