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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: lean · spring · net · foot · fork · coach · charge · hand

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spring — of water
  3. lean — to bend
  4. net — in sport
  5. spring — the season
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lean — thin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — for catching
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spring — a coil
  19. hand — in cards
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. net — after costs
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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