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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 120 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.

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: march · tube · nail · object · cell · arm · spring · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — a container
  7. march — music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cell — in biology
  17. object — an aim
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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