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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
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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: firm · mark · pit · trunk · fan · spring · row · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spring — of water
  4. firm — a company
  5. spring — a coil
  6. row — a line
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pit — a hole
  16. firm — steady
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. firm — decided
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spring — the season
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a grade

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