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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: nail · arm · leaves · bay · bulb · mine · spring · field

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. spring — of water
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. field — farmland
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spring — the season
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. arm — part of the body

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