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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: hand · staff · fork · rock · firm · hide · prune · spring

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rock — music
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — decided
  6. spring — of water
  7. firm — steady
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — a stone
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — in cards
  17. firm — a company
  18. hand — help
  19. spring — a coil
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rock — to move gently

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