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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — the season
  13. rush — hurry
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. arm — part of the body

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