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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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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: spring · rock · bore · staff · deal · suit · arm · patient

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rock — music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. staff — employees
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — in cards
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spring — the season
  15. bore — to drill
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spring — of water
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bore — gave birth

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