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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
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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: squash · spring · pitcher · object · lean · foot · season · hand

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. foot — a measure
  7. season — of the year
  8. object — a thing
  9. spring — a coil
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — to protest
  13. spring — the season
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lean — thin
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — an aim
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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