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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · arm · mark · nail · row · bulb · spring · prune

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spring — of water
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. row — a line
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. row — to paddle
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. leaves — to go away

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