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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: mine · arm · fine · lean · suit · straw · bowl · spring

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fine — all right
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. spring — the season
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spring — a coil
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fine — high quality
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — thin
  17. spring — of water
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bowl — to roll

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