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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: mug · mark · face · hand · suit · pass · arm · spring

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hand — help
  8. spring — of water
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. face — to confront
  12. pass — a permit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mug — a face
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. face — part of the head
  18. suit — clothes
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pass — to spend time
  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