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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lean — to bend
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spring — a coil
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. can — to be able to
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — of water
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — to crush
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — thin

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