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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.

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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: spring · row · mark · arm · staff · foot · mug · bulb

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mug — a cup
  6. row — a line
  7. staff — employees
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mug — a face
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — to rob
  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