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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: saw · leaves · club · arm · lash · spring · mug · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mug — a face
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. spring — of water
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spring — the season
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mug — a cup
  24. arm — part of the body

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