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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · dip · lie · spring · bowl · fan · chest · squash

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chest — of your body
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chest — of your body
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — to recline
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — of water
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chest — a box
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lie — an untruth

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