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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.

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: present · straw · mark · saw · wound · spring · bowl · dip

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. dip — to sink
  8. present — there
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. saw — the tool
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wound — an injury
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. present — a gift
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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