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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: lean · net · ball · bore · saw · degree · straw · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. net — in sport
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. degree — from a university
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. spring — of water
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bore — to tire
  16. lean — thin
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — to drill
  19. net — after costs
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lean — to bend
  22. net — for catching
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — the season

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