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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: can · rock · arm · bulb · spring · bound · drill · field

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. can — to be able to
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bound — tied together
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. field — for sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spring — the season
  14. rock — music
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. drill — army training
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — obliged
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — of water

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