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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 116 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: pop · spring · rest · lean · hand · deal · rock · saw

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. spring — the season
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spring — of water
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. hand — help
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — thin
  16. rock — music
  17. pop — music
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rest — a break
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pop — soda
  24. rock — a stone

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